The Pride of Acadiana Winter Guard is feeling the effects of the campuswide cost reductions that began in the Fall 2025 semester. Due to budget constraints leading to a lack of funding, the team is unable to compete this season in the Magnolia Performing Arts Association (MPAA) circuit.
The Winter Guard, funded partly by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Music, received the news late in the fall semester that they would likely not be receiving funds this year due to cost reductions across the music department.
Samantha Wallace, a senior double majoring in biology and chemistry and the captain of the Pride of Acadiana Color Guard and Winter Guard, said, “Somewhere deep down, all of us knew that we were going to be affected in some way, as with all sports.”
“It’s one of those sports that gets overlooked, and it’s probably going to get cut more than the others, which was something that we expected, but I don’t think we expected it to be to the extent that we wouldn’t have a season this year.”
In response to the news, Wallace shared that the team attempted to work up ideas which would allow them to compete, like fundraising or reusing costumes. However, by the time the decision was made, there was not sufficient time to come up with the means for funding.
“I had so many people throughout the fall season coming up and telling you… we’re willing to fundraise, we’re willing to do… whatever it takes just to have the season at all.”
According to Wallace, due to the uncertainty of funding in the future, she is working on transitioning Winter Guard into becoming a Club Sport under UL Lafayette Recreational Sports. She shared that in doing so, they will be able to receive some funding from Rec Sports as well as have an on-campus rehearsal space, which they previously did not. Associate Director of Bands Dr. Shaun Popp expressed his support for Winter Guard’s transition to Rec Sports.
“This is not something that we want to be permanent,” Popp said in response to the Winter Guard’s current predicament, sharing their hopes that they will be able to resume their activities next year.
Though under the Pride of Acadiana and closely related to the Color Guard, which performs at games and parades, the Winter Guard operates mostly independently in the spring and is its own competitive sport.
The Pride of Acadiana Winter Guard has competed in Winter Guard International (WGI) Sport of the Arts, and since 2017, the MPAA, previously the Louisiana-Mississippi Color Guard and Percussion Circuit (LMCGPC).
According to Wallace, at MPAA, they have competed against other universities like Northwestern State University, McNeese University and Louisiana State University, and consistently placed within the top three.
Wallace shared that performing and competing with the Winter Guard has been significant in many ways. She highlighted recruitment, pointing out that watching their team perform well could influence high schoolers’ decision of where they ultimately choose to go to college.
She said, “There are these high schoolers that… actually look up to you, and they remember you, they recognize you… they associate you with the University.”
“They’re also comparing us to other colleges… whatever show they like more, whatever program they think they would fit in better, is where they go,” Wallace added, sharing that that was a big deciding factor for her before coming to UL Lafayette.
For Wallace, who is in her fifth year of being on Winter Guard, she said, “This was my last time being able to compete under the University, which is a program that I chose and I love.”
